Railroad-car beake



W. F. STEUART.

Car-Brake.

No. 25,708. Patented Oct. 4. 1859.

Witnesses= Inventor.

AM. PHDTO-LITHO.CO.N.Y (OSBORNE'S PROCESS.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM F. STEUART, OF PATUXENT FORGE, MARYLAND.

RAILROAD-CAR BRAKE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 25,708, dated October 4:, 1859.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. STEUART, of Patuxent Forge, in the county of Anne Arundel and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Car Brakes; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 represents a plan view of the running gear of two eight wheel railroad cars, Fig. 2 an elevation, and Fig. 3 an end view of one of the trucks.

The letters of reference indicate the same parts in the different figures.

-My invention relates to a mode of operating all the brakes of a train of cars simultaneously, either from the engine or from one or more of the cars; the apparatus for each car being complete in itself.

I proceed first to describe the construction of one truck which will suffice for each of the others as here represented.

In boxes at each end of the frame a, a horizontal shaft Z), has its bearings, it is capable of free revolution on its axis in either direction and carries upon certain portions of its length right hand screw threads 0 alternating with left hand screw threads (Z. These threads may be either cut from the substance of the shaft itself, or on sleeves which may be slipped over the shaft and secured thereto in their proper positions or they may be made in any convenient manner.

The screws 0 and d each work through blocks 6, in female screws cut to match. The blocks 6, are jointed at each side to brake levers 7 which have their fulcrums at z, and bear when in action upon the peripheries of each wheel both in front and rear at points diametrically opposite or nearly so. When the axles run in outside bearings, the fulcrums of the brake levers may be on the outer frame forming levers of the second kind which will be equally effective. The horizontal shaft 5, is operated in the present instance by means of the vertical brake shaft j, carrying a bevel wheel which meshes into another bevel wheel upon the end of the shaft 5. Any other mechanical equivalent can be used which will revolve the shaft with facility and not offer too much resistance to the revolution of the shaft 6, when the power is applied to the opposite end or at any other part of the train as hereinafter explained. It will be perceived that by the revolution of the shaft in the direction of the dart, the operation of the right and left hand screws in the corresponding screws in the blocks which are jointed to the brake levers, cause the brakes to hold each wheel, with any desirable frictional pressure at points upon their peripheries nearly diametrically opposite to each other, producing the effect of stopping the car without the usual dangerous strain upon the axles which is caused by the pressure of the brake upon one side of the wheel only.

Two trucks constructed as above described are connected together by a joint 72 of sufficient length to admit of the trucks being placed at the proper distance apart, to form the usual running gear of an eight wheeled car, having a vertical brake shaft, and hand wheel or crank at each end, by either of which or by both together all the brakes of that car can be operated.

Two or more cars, the running gear of which is constructed as above described, are coupled together in the usual manner, their horizontal screws being connected by the joints Z0. These joints are made in the present instance of a cylindrical form, a tenon on one end of one of the shafts entering a gain in the connecting piece where it is secured by a pin passing through both, the tenon upon the end of the shaft 5, of the other car enters a similar gain at right angles to the other, but the pin does not pass through both. The tenon has longitudinal grooves on each side, into which short pins pass, and hold the parts of the joint in every direction but one, which is that of the line of motion of the cars. The car coupling holds the cars together, but if they are uncoupled either by design or accident, the tenon immediately slips out and the screw shafts become independent of each other, and can be operated separately by their respective brake shafts. The same sort of connection is extended to the engine, thus placing the whole series of brakes under the immediate control of the engineer, should the brakemen be absent from their posts or a pressing emergency require the immediate stoppage of the train. Also any one of the brakemen can operate the whole of the brakes or if two or more take hold at the same time at different points they assist one another or the engineer.

By the addition of suitable mechanism to the engine, its motive power may be made available to operate the brakes with any desirable force or speed, but it will be found that the immense force that can be exerted by means of well constructed screws arranged as herein described and operated by hand will place a train so completely under control that many fatal accidents can be avoided.

Having thus fully described my improvements I do not claim any of the within described devices separately considered, but

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is The combination of the various parts of the apparatus herein described, when so con- WM. F. STEUART.

Witnesses CHAS. EVERETT, W. CREssFIELD. 

